On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[Winter]

So by the way the first 8 pages sound like (don't feel like reading the entire thread), Disney might shut down??? Or am I misunderstanding what this is saying and the worst case scenario isn't THAT amount of bad?

 

[Lilofan]

Yeah. I expect OLC will continue to operate Tokyo Disneyland with the save love they have since it opened (essentially almost everything looking like it opened yesterday and the streets looking clean enough to eat off). But as you said, Paris only recently got back on its feet after many years of being trashed. It would be tragic if it fell back into decay again.

WDW has been in a gradually declining state since the mid 90s or even before. The peak of its poor quality I would say was probably 2010-2012. There were some small attempts to clean certain attractions up after this (Splash Mtn in particular reopening with a wonderful rehab that made the ride look brand new again). But WDW never received a truly sweeping property wide cleanup to the extent that Cali and Paris received. So seeing how poorly WDW is managed even in seemingly "healthy" financial times, i'm very concerned with what a devastating (and possibly lengthy) financial collapse and corporate upheaval will do to it...

If WDW has been declining since the 1990s how does one explain the increasing levels of attendance year after year?

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

Except this time the beer and companionship is better.

And the wine - the wine is also better!
But not the whine...

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I must be the only one annoyed about this...but I can’t stand that the twinkle/small light bulbs at GF, BW, BC, YC don’t all work...I loved how they carried a “glow” through the night.

I’ve pushed my daughter in a stroller to sleep late at night on the Boardwalk looking at them as I made a loop around Crescent Lake.

The popcorn light sitch at the resorts and MK is appalling. Flagship park and resort at the flagship property, my Alien Swirling Saucers!

They're already broken again? I let my AP expire this past November and haven't driven over to WDW since then. The check in side was converted to LED a few years ago and they were looking quite great for a while. The monorail station at MK was also redone with LEDs recently and was looking lovely (same for all the bus terminals). That said, Narcoossees and a building near the kiddie pool have had troublesome lighting for a while now. They're LED as well, but much older than the ones on the main building (probably done back when the DVC was constructed). They have a bunch of non functional bulbs.

LED's have the potential to last for decades (and the diode themselves generally are reusable), but they require high quality wiring and circuit boards to do so. Most LEDs available to the public (especially newer ones from the past 5 years) use incredibly poor quality electrical components and fail very quickly. This is intentional cost cutting as well, GE even sells so-called "longer life" LED's at a higher price point than the regular ones.

Sad thing is that Disney could have avoided this pitfall as the electrical work was likely custom fit and they had better control over the quality. I guess they skimped on the budget and parts though...

 

[Jrb1979]

So by the way the first 8 pages sound like (don't feel like reading the entire thread), Disney might shut down??? Or am I misunderstanding what this is saying and the worst case scenario isn't THAT amount of bad?

No they won't shut down. They may close a couple days a week. The demand isn't there as Lex Luthor (Bob Chapek)thought. The guests that tend to spend the most money aren't going.

 

[WDW Pro]

Most of the reports seem to be coming out of Georgia. We’re still largely shut down out here in CA where the virus was probably a lot worse, I never kept up with that state, and our government is definitely more strict. We were originally supposed to be back on June 12

Georgia's no where close to full production either. It's a ludicrous statement some of them are making. At best, Atlanta area film production is at 40% of last year... and that's if you include preproduction. You essentially can't do any fighting, romantic, or other problematic scenes at the moment.

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

That's false. He is almost a billionaire and in his early 70s. He's going to ride off into the sunset and maybe do consulting appearances if he feels like it.

He'll probably go into consulting for education because it seems like the place where unqualified people end up - organizing and planning PD for people in education. There'll be a book with a guide for staff book study, too.
I did not use my teacher voice to say this.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

Just thought of this when reading about the rumors of selling off the international parks. Any shot of them selling off Aulani, Vero Beach and Hilton Head? I wonder since these are not the main properties of DL and WDW. Could these being DVC resorts throw a monkey wrench in that though?

If this isn't the right forum for this, my apologies. Could have sworn that selling off properties was mentioned in this thread.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I must be the only one annoyed about this...but I can’t stand that the twinkle/small light bulbs at GF, BW, BC, YC don’t all work...I loved how they carried a “glow” through the night.

I’ve pushed my daughter in a stroller to sleep late at night on the Boardwalk looking at them as I made a loop around Crescent Lake.

We don’t agree on much here but I’m with you on this one. Just seems very lazy to me not to replace on a regular basis. We were down there for 17 days in a row last year and I swear I saw a different one go out each night, never to be replaced.

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

They're already broken again? I let my AP expire this past November and haven't drive over to WDW since then. The check in side was converted to LED a few years ago and they were looking quite great for a while. The monorail station at MK was also redone with LEDs recently and was looking lovely (same for all the bus terminals). That said, Narcoossees and a building near the kiddie pool have had troublesome lighting for a while now. They're LED as well, but they're much older than the main building (probably done back when the DVC was constructed) and have a bunch of non functional bulbs.

LED's have the potential to last for decades (and the diode themselves generally are reusable), but they require high quality wiring and circuit boards to do so. Most LEDs available to the public (especially newer ones from the past 5 years) have horrible construction and fail very quickly. This is intentional as well, GE are even marketing "longer life" LED's at a higher price point.

Sad thing is that Disney could have avoided this pitfall as the electrical work was likely custom fit and they had better control over the quality that went into it. I guess they skimped on the budget and parts though...

Honestly, they were probably sold on “plug and play,” but, the reality is, those LEDs only operate well if they are receiving the proper amount of voltage.

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

He'll probably go into consulting for education because it seems like the place where unqualified people end up - organizing and planning PD for people in education. There'll be a book with a guide for staff book study, too.
I did not use my teacher voice to say this.

Those who can’t do, teach.

 

[socalifornian]

Georgia's no where close to full production either. It's a ludicrous statement some of them are making. At best, Atlanta area film production is at 40% of last year... and that's if you include preproduction. You essentially can't do any fighting, romantic, or other problematic scenes at the moment.

Oh definitely not, should’ve been more clear. The amount of actors/extras/stunt etc. in a scene is only part of the problem too when crew size is always a relative constant. I don’t really see these work arounds being sustainable, and hours were capped at 10 per day out here whenever it returns en masse. The average shoot day is 12+, especially out in Georgia I imagine since it’s a right to work state

 

[Lilofan]

Those who can’t do, teach.

Teachers with tenure have a sweet deal. It's like pulling teeth to get the poor performing ones fired.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Those who can’t do, teach.

And end up bad teachers. (Most teachers I've met are amazing people and fabulous teachers.)

 

[dizneeboy]

Since I turn 50 month to the day after WDW, I'm hoping it's back to 90's levels so I can actually enjoy the park again and not have to wake up months in advance praying I get my FPs and dining reservations I want.

I hit my 50th in August (2 months before). Completely agree. Hoping for a year of cheap catch up!

 

[tanc]

I would imagine the government of Florida would do everything they could to help Disney.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

If WDW has been declining since the 1990s how does one explain the increasing levels of attendance year after year?

Because Ken and Barbie with kids are competing against their friends on who can have the most lavish “magical” family vacation with staged photos on over The Facebook / Instagram pages. One family trying to outdo the other family.
A family I know asked if it’s worth it and I said no. I explained all of the planning and crowds levels.
They had a great time at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. Better water park and three if the best wooden roller coasters. Better quality at the fraction of the cost.

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

We don’t agree on much here but I’m with you on this one. Just seems very lazy to me not to replace on a regular basis. We were down there for 17 days in a row last year and I swear I saw a different one go out each night, never to be replaced.

It’s sad because we know they used to look great.

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

Because Ken and Barbie with kids are competing against their friends on who can have the most lavish “magical” family vacation with staged photos on over The Facebook / Instagram pages. One family trying to outdo the other family.
A family I know asked if it’s worth it and I said no. I explained all of the planning and crowds levels.
They had a great time at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. Better water park and three if the best wooden roller coasters. Better quality at the fraction of the cost.

A lot of people don’t stay on site or have AP, but they over pay for food and merchandise. They pay full price for a one day ticket and show up at 11:00 and leave at 6:00.

 

[Lilofan]

It’s sad because we know they used to look great.

People seem to accept mediocrity in their lives, jobs and vacations.